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Perhaps one of the hardest concepts for us to grasp is that of freedom. While it seems like a good idea, for the average person, freedom is NOT what they seek in life. Let me explain.

To be free, you would have to be the type of person who can and will take control of your life. You would have to be responsible for how your life turns out, no matter what the outcome.

In return, you would indeed gain the freedom to do as you please, as often as you please.

The problem for most people is that they only want HALF of what freedom brings. They want to be able to do as they choose whenever they choose, but at the same time are typically unwilling to embrace the responsibility that comes with true freedom.

While many talk a good game, very few will ever get to the point where they can do as they please.

In order to get, you have to give. There is no getting without giving.

In the case of our current societal challenges, there is no such thing as free healthcare without giving up something in return. To get the healthcare, you have to be willing to give up your freedom of choice, you have to be willing to give up more of your income, and you have to be willing to give up your power to choose how you wish to deal with your personal health.

This is a unversal law, which has been in play since the beginning of time. If you want something, you have to give something to get it.

If you want to be wealthy, you have to give up your time and creativity in order to create wealth. You see how poorly it turns our for those who gain great wealth in an instant with a winning lottery ticket. Trust me, you would not want that to happen to you.

If you prefer that somebody else be responsible for your well- being, you’ll give up your freedom. You and I speak about this often in terms of making the choice to be an employee or a business owner.

As an employee you gain the security of a weekly payday, but give up your freedom. On the other hand, as a business owner, you have much more freedom and in exchange you often give up security.

In the end, the choice of which way you choose to live your life should be up to you and only you. Nobody should ever dictate to you which path you should follow because nobody knows what’s best for you better than you.

In a time when our freedoms are once again threatened by people who think they know what’s best for you, and will stop at nothing to force you to get in line and follow their dictates, it’s more important now than ever that you stand your ground.

Whether it’s a close friend or a distant government official, remember that you and only you are in charge of your life.

We live in a great country, one that has for generations left the decisions on how we lead our lives up to the individual.

Today, it’s time to celebrate your freedom as you continue along your path in life seeking even more freedom.

Today is Thanksgiving in America and it’s a day when our attention tends to shift to our families. But it’s also a great time to steal away a few moments to count your many blessings.

For many years, I avoided doing that second part in any way, shape, or form. My focus was instead always on the things that I wanted but didn’t yet have. I tended to never look back at what I had already accomplished.

As I grew a little older, I started to pay more attention to this idea of being thankful for the many things that have indeed come my way over the years. There was an immediate shift that happened in my life when I changed my focus from what was missing, to what was already accomplished.

I found myself happier, more confident, and living with increased expectations about what was coming next. What a contrast that was!

Now, instead of feeling like a failure for all the things I did not yet have or had not yet accomplished, I felt proud and happy about where I was right now.

Today, I teach a very powerful point in my seminars and to my coaching clients that can be summed up like this:

“Gratitude is the Shortcut to Success.”

You could use today as the excuse to look around you at the family members who love you, the house you live in, the clothes you wear, and the “toys” you own and find ways to be thankful for it all.

It can be helpful to remember a time in your life when you didn’t have any of the things you have now, and remember how much more challenging life was back then.

Look at all you’ve done, all you’ve accomplished, and realize that with each passing year, you grow more and more.

Very few in our society today are not on this path. Some move along the path faster than others, but we’re always moving forward in at least some areas of our lives.

Take this day to remember just how lucky your are to have what you have, and make a decision to make this into a habit you carry with you every day of the year.

You’ll soon notice that the things you want will come to you with less effort and more frequency than ever before.

If it’s indeed true that success is a mindset, a great place to start is by being grateful.